Locomotive exhaust deflector



p 9, 1952 B. o. BUCKLAND ETAL 2,609,766

LOCOMOTIVE EXHAUST DEFLECTOR Filed July26, 1951 Inventors: 7 Bruce C. Buckla'nd,

Arthu'rl'1.Mor-ey, by

Their Att ornex.

Patented Sept. 9, 1952 LOCOMOTIVE EXHAUST nnrsncron Bruce OfBucklanrl, Schenectady, Yr, and {Arthur H. Morey, Erie, Pa.,'iassignorsto.iGen-.. eral Electric Company, acorporation of New York Applicationluly as, 1951, Serial mascara I 1 V This finvention relates to self-propelled vehicles having internal combustion thermal power plants,, for example, a gasturbine-electric locomotive, and more particularly to an exhaust deflector for the power plant. of such a vehicle.

In the design I of self-propelled rail vehicles having internal combustion thermal power plant prime movers, as for example a gas turbine-electric locomotive, it is necessary to provide means to prevent recirculation of exhaust gases into the power plant inlet when the locomotive is passing through tunnels. It is also desirable to provide means for obtaining some diffusion of the exhaust stream in order to secure a reduction in exhaust losses and noise. It is further desirable toprovidc means for producing an aspirating effect in order to draw a supply of fresh air toward the locomotive from the open end of a tunnel and to mix the aspirated air and exhaust gases in the boundary layerwhich impinges on the tunnel roof. This is an especially important consideration in wood lined tunnelswhere a fire hazard exists; l

It is accordingly an objector this invention to provide an improved exhaust deflector for directing the exhaust gases of an internal combustion thermal power plant prime mover rearwardly, for diffusing the exhaust stream, and for providing an aspirating effect.

Further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent and the invention will be better understood by reference to the following description and the accompanyin drawing, and the features of novelty which characterize this invention will be pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this specification.

In accordance with this invention, an exhaust deflector is arranged on the end of the exhaust outlet ofan internal combustion thermal power plant prime mover arranged in the body of a selfpropelled rail vehicle. This deflector is provided with a plurality of turning vanes or blades arranged therein the blades being arranged in a plane of approximately 30 from the horizontal sloping toward the rear of the vehicle.

In the drawing, Fig. 1 is a side elevational view, partly broken away, showing a locomotive having a gas turbine prime mover and provided with the improved exhaust deflector of this invention; Fig. 2 is a fragmentary top view of the exhaust deflector of this invention; and Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken along the lines 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to the drawing, there is shown comm (o1. massif 7 a locomotive I. having a body 2 supported. by suitable running gear'S. A gas turbine power plant 4 is mounted in the body 2 and is provided with an air inlet. 5 extending through the roof 6 and an exhaust outlet .7 also extending upwardly through the roof 6. The output of the gas turbine 4 is utilized to drive a suitable gen erato r 8, through a gear box 9. Exhaust defiector assemblylois arranged on the end of the exhaust outlet 1 aswill be hereinafter more fully described. l

. Referring nowto Figs.'2 and 3, it will. be seen that the exhaust deflector assembly I0 is formed with a front Wal1 II, a back wall I2, and a pair of side walls; The; exhaust deflector assembly I0 is securedato; the endf; the. exhaust outlet 1, which projectsthrough the roof 6, in any suitable mannenas by welding flanges l4 and M5. The

upper surface It of the; deflector assembly 10 is substantially horizontal and the front wall I I and rear wall lz are turned rearwardly in order to discharge the stream in a direction approximately 45 to the vertical'. These. walls. may be turned to discharge the stream; at other angles with the v verticalas longas the angle is large enough to be ffective, i. e., 25 or more. A plurality of turning blades or vanes I! are arranged in the exhaust deflector l0 and are supported by longitudinal supporting members I 8. These blades are arranged in a plane approximately 30 to the horizontal sloping toward the rear of the vehicle, as shown in Figs. 1 and 3, so that the plane of the tops of the blades I1 is near the base of the rear wall I2 and at the top of the front wall H. The front wall II is preferably formed with the same curvature as the blades I 1 which are curved to deflect the exhaust gases rearwardly, the deflection being preferably approximately 45 to the vertical, but may be any amount in excess of approximately 30 to the vertical.

In operation, when the locomotive is passing through a tunnel having a ceiling as shown atl9, the horizontal velocity component of the exhaust gas ejects the exhaust past the locomotive so that the air admitted to the power plant through the inlet 5 remains essentially fresh. The device also makes it possible to obtain fresh air when the inlet to the power plant is arranged along the sides of the cab. The blades I! also diffuse the exhaust gases discharged through the exhaust outlet 7 to effect a. gain in performance and it has been found thatthis rearward deflection' and diffusion also produces a reduction in noise. It will now be readily apparent that'this invention provides an improved means for de- 3 fleeting the exhaust gases rearwardly, as shown by the arrows 20 in Fig. 1, the effect of the blades I! being also to increase the pressure head of the turbine by changing the direction of flow of the exhaust gases.

The improved exhaust deflector of this inven tion also provides an aspirating effect to the rearwardly directed exhaust gas. This effect draws a fresh supply of air toward the locomotive from the open end of the tunnel and also provides considerable mixing of the aspirated air and exhaust, j

gases in the boundary layer which impinges on the tunnel roof. This consideration is, especially.

important in wood lined tunnels where the fire hazard is appreciable. The improved exhaust deflector of this invention installed on the gas turbine-electric locomotive was tested in an essentially level tunnel approximately 5900 feet with the locomotive stopped in approximately the middle of the tunnel. There was no measurable wind velocity on the outside of the tunnel and it was found that the aspirating effect of the exhaust deflector produced a wind velocity of approximately 13 M. P. H. toward the locomotive from the open end of the tunnel.

While we have illustrated and described a particular embodiment of this invention, further modifications and improvements will occur to those skilled in the art. We desire that it be understood, therefore, that this invention is not limited to the particular form shown and we intend in the appended claims to cover all modifications Within the spirit and scope of this invention.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States is:

1. In a self-propelled vehicle having a gas turbine-electric power plant arranged in the body thereof and having an exhaust outlet means extending upward through the roof of said body, an exhaust deflector arranged on the end of said exhaust outlet and having said deflectors upper surface substantially horizontal, said exhaust deflector having front and rear walls sloping rearwardly at approximately 45 to the vertical, said exhaust deflector having a plurality of curved turning blades positioned therein, said blades being curved rearwardly and thereby arranged to deflect the exhaust of said power plant rearwardly by approximately said front wall having substantially the same curvature as said blades.

2. In a self-propelled vehicle having a gas turbine-electric power plant arranged in the body thereof and having an exhaust outlet means extending upward through the roof of said body, an exhaust deflector arranged on the end of said exhaust outlet and having said deflectors upper surface substantially horizontal, said exhaust deflector having front and rear walls sloping rearwardly at approximately 45 to the vertical, said exhaust 'deflector having a plurality of curved turning blades positioned therein across said outlet and disposed in a plane approxi mately 30 to the horizontal sloping towardthe rear of said vehicle, said blades being curved rearwardly and thereby arranged to deflect the exhaust of said power plant rearwardly by approximately 45, said front wall having substan tially the same curvature as said blades. 1

BRUCE o. BUCKLANDQ ARTHUR H. MoRE'Y.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record .in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Date Great Britain Apr. 14,1939 

